State considers Batavia dam

Park District, city split on solution

July 26, 2002|By Gary Gibula. Special to the Tribune.

Batavia officials and residents are waiting to see whether the state Department of Natural Resources agrees with a City Council decision this week to recommend the removal of the city's North Dam on the Fox River or goes with the Park District's preference, building a "half dam."

Meeting in a rare joint session Wednesday evening, Batavia's City Council and Park District Board viewed a presentation on two options for replacing the crumbling structure. With one member absent from each body, the City Council voted 11-2 to eliminate the dam, while the Park District's vote was 3-1 in favor of building a submerged barrier to slow the river's flow.

The Department of Natural Resources, which owns the dam, will make its decision on which option will be used in the next few days, according to Melvin Allison, a planning division manager for the department.

"Whichever option is used means a healthier river," said Britta McKenna, Batavia Park District president. "We prefer the half-dam option from a recreational standpoint."

The Batavia North Dam is one of several in the Chicago area and among 15 statewide that the Department of Natural Resources will rebuild or remove. Other local dams slated for removal include one on Brewster Creek, a Fox River tributary, and three on the Des Plaines River.

Officials are meeting Friday in Kendall County to discuss the dam across the Fox River in Yorkville.

The half-dam option entails removing the 10-foot-tall dam and constructing a submerged 4-foot-tall barrier to inhibit river flow.

If the dam were removed, dredged silt would be used to augment a half-mile of the east bank, limiting water flow by narrowing the Fox River by about 200 feet in places.

"We were hoping that it would be unanimous, but this kind of blindsided us," Allison said, who promised that the department would take the concerns of both sides into consideration. "These are the folks who have to live here."

Allison said funding for the Batavia North Dam project comes from annual state appropriations.

"We had an appropriation of $3.6 million last year, and for the fiscal year that began in July we received another $2.5 million," Allison said. "We're scheduling another $2.3 million in the next budget."

Allison said the cost of the project will not be known until the design has been completed.

Sixty percent of the project's planning is expected to be completed in six months, and bidding for construction should begin a year from now. Allison said construction would take one to two years after that.

Officials said the half-dam option would cost less because the east bank of the river would not be built out as much, but complete dam removal would promote a healthier river because increased water flow limits the growth of river algae.

"If complete dam removal provides better water quality than the half-dam option, then we're down to only one option," said Ald. Eldon Fry.

But Batavia Mayor Jeff Schielke, who advocated the half-dam option, likes the wider river it provides.

"The more river we can give the community, the better off we will be," Schielke said.

Both proposals include construction of a berm to enclose Depot Pond, a finger inlet of the Fox River near the city's riverwalk and historical museum.

Since a 10-foot breach in the 300-foot-long dam occurred in 1978, officials say the water level of the Fox River north of the dam has gone down by 3 feet. If the dam were to fail, the Depot Pond would drain, officials said.

"Our challenge is to make the best decision for the health of the river," Ald. David Brown said.

Allison said that the department is not required to abide by the city's determination, but he said it would like to hear the city's suggestions. He said that had Batavia decided not to be involved in the discussions, the department would remove the dam.